Reaction: Andoni Iraola's press conference after Liverpool's loss to Man City
Read what Andoni Iraola had to say at his press conference after Liverpool's 3-0 defeat by Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday.
The visitors scored three times in the second half through Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki to leave with the points.
Prior to that, the Premier League affair was goalless at the time of Ryan Gravenberch's sending-off for two bookable offences in the 62nd minute.
See a summary of Iraola's post-match briefing with reporters below.
On the game...
I think the analysis is quite clear. I think we played two different games – one until the red card and one from the red card until the end. I think we were the better team until the red card in the first 62 minutes. And they were better than us, obviously, after the red card and they scored the goals.
But I think the players deserve credit today because I think they've given everything. I think also the supporters have been fantastic today – fantastic before, during, after. I think the atmosphere and the feeling we had until that moment... also it was, I think, our best moment probably when we were having the chances and are positive. Obviously when you lose 3-0 it's not a lot, but I think it was important.
On the yellow cards Gravenberch received...
I think the first foul of Ryan is never a yellow card – never. This kind of game, just a stomp in the big toe or something like minor. He [the referee] doesn't even call the foul straight away – he lets it go. I think Elliot Anderson does a couple of steps, he decides to go down. I don't know why after he shows the yellow card because it's not a situation where he leaves an advantage. We had nine players behind the ball, it was in the middle of the pitch, no danger there.
And then you put, as a referee, yourself in trouble and also you put us in trouble at the beginning of the game [with the] yellow card of Ronald [Araujo]. I know he complains, he does like this, but in this kind of game... Ronald complaining and this you put straight away in the beginning of the game the right-back with a yellow card. In the textbooks, yes, perfect. If he complains, you can show a yellow card. But then I will be very careful all the season. Every time someone complains has to be a yellow card.
On playing at Anfield...
For me, today we had a big advantage with Anfield, with the supporters. A massive advantage. It's true I think also the players have done their part, have turned up and competed, have gone into the duels with intensity and given their best. I think it is one of the reasons we were better until the red card, because the stadium has helped us a lot today.
On Dominik Szoboszlai's fitness...
Dom came from the national team with tightness, an overload. We put him as a floater in the training and tried to protect him but he was feeling something very small. It's true that now we play four games in 10 days, so it's going to be difficult because we fly to Austria in two days. I think it's going to be difficult to recover any of the players.
